The European Broadcasting Union has called upon politicians in Bosnia and Herzegovina to find a solution to the issues facing the financing of BHRT; the federal public service broadcaster of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The calls came from the Director General of the European Broadcasting Union, Noel Curran himself. Curran penned a letter directly to Bosnian leaders hoping to resolve the situation of BHRT’s dire financial state.
BHRT funding woes
Curran voiced the EBU’s desire to see change in the funding structure to allow BHRT to obtain the funds it is entitled to. Additionally, to find the reform needed to allow the broadcaster to have steady long-term funding. He stated that it was imperative to find solutions to allow reliable news to be easily accessible. In doing so Curran voiced the readiness of the EBU to assist in any way to solve the issues facing Bosnian television.
With relation to Eurovision, the current funding issues not only prevent BHRT from directly financing its return to the contest, but also from seeking outside financing. This is due to sanctions placed on the broadcaster by the EBU for failure to pay its dues as a member. With such sanctions, and there being at present no other broadcasters in the Balkan nation having achieved EBU membership, likleyhood of the country’s return remain slim.
Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Eurovision Journey
Bosnia and Herzegovina were a mini-powerhouse in the Eurovision Song Contest in the time that they took part. Bosnia and Herzegovina debuted in Eurovision in 1993 with Fazla, singing the song ‘Sva bol svijeta’. The song placed 16th, scoring 27 points. The country qualified for the final every single time bar once; their best result coming in 2006 with ‘Leija’ sung by Hari Mata Hari, which came third scoring 229 points in the Grand Final.
Bosnia and Herzegovina last participated in the Eurovision Song Contest back in 2016 with Dalal and Deen featuring Ana Rucner and Jala. Singing the song ‘Ljubav Je’, unfortunately they failed to qualify – placing 11th in the Semi Final with 104 points. This marked the first time that Bosnia & Herzegovina was not in a final in its participation.
Do you think it was right for the EBU to make such a statement? Would you like to see Bosnia and Herzegovina return to Eurovision? As always, let us know what you think by commenting below. Also, be sure to follow “That Eurovision Site” on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Tiktok, Threads, Tumblr and Bluesky as we look ahead to Eurovision 2024!
Source: BHRT
Image Credit: EBU
Samantha 
Giwrgos Oiko